How to cook frozen pork loin in Instant Pot is easier than you think! Yes! You can now cook a rock hard frozen tenderloin in your Ninja Foodi or pressure cooker to tender in no time.
Yes I’m forgetful. That’s when this frozen pork loin in Instant Pot recipe comes in handy. If you too forget to defrost meat in the morning and it is almost dinnertime, you’ll love this tip too. Find this and over 100 more easy Instant Pot recipes here on The Typical Mom blog.
Table of Contents
- Ninja Foodi Frozen Pork Loin
- Can you cook a frozen pork loin?
- How do you Cook a Frozen Pork Loin in Instant Pot?
- How long is frozen pork good for?
- Is it safe to eat pork that has been frozen for a year?
- What vegetables go well with pork?
- How long do you cook frozen pork loin?
- What is the Best Way to Cook Ninja Foodi Frozen Pork Loin?
- Can you use Instant Pot as a de-froster?
- Why did my pork tenderloin turn out tough in Instant Pot?
- Can you cook Instant Pot frozen pork loin with gravy?
- How do you fit a frozen pork loin in pressure cooker?
- Frozen Pork Loin in Instant Pot Recipe
Ninja Foodi Frozen Pork Loin
This is a game changer my friends!! I mean I cannot be the only forgetful one out there who remembers at 4 pm that dinner is still rock solid. I have the answer. You can make it in your Crockpot Express or Ninja Foodi this way too.
Yes we’ve shared how to cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot and that was a hit. Apparently I am not the only forgetful one in the world huh? 😉 This time I wanted to figure out how to cook frozen pork in an Instant Pot. Not just cook it but get it to be tender and flavorful for dinnertime. Here is what worked well.
If you are new to pressure cooking we have a lot of easy one pot meal recipes for you here. To begin with let’s start with a few basic tips:
- Make sure to Bookmark our InstaPot recipes page. We add new ones each week!
- Then PRINT this —–> Instant Pot cooking times cheat sheet that will help you understand how long meat, vegetables and beans take to cook in your pressure cooker.
- I HIGHLY recommend you buy this non stick pot.
- You should know how to deglaze a pressure cooker after sautéing but it won’t have as many issues with this better liner.
For reference, this is the model I have (a 6 quart) and use for all recipe creations.
Can you cook a frozen pork loin?
I did wonder what the best way to cook it would be. It is safe to cook frozen or partially frozen pork in the oven, on the stove, grill or in an Instant Pot now without defrosting it first!!
- Keep in mind that the cooking time may be about 50 percent longer. It is best if frozen pork roasts are cooked at an oven temperature of 325 degrees F. Cooking frozen pork in a slow cooker is not recommended.
- Using a pressure cooker is fabulous because the insides can get nice and tender while not overcooking the outside.
How do you Cook a Frozen Pork Loin in Instant Pot?
I have directions for you below in the recipe card but it isn’t any different than if you cooked an Instant Pot pork tenderloin before that’s been thawed. You know how good it is. BUT, sometimes we forget to prep meat in the morning. Guilty as charged. The timing is just a bit different and as always you want to naturally release the steam at the end to keep it moist.
How long is frozen pork good for?
Wondering how long can you freeze pork? Frozen foods are safe indefinitely. For best quality though, fresh pork roast, steaks, chops or ribs should be used within 4 – 6 months. Fresh ground pork, pork liver or variety meats should be used within 3 – 4 months. Home cooked pork, soups, stews, or casseroles should be cooked within 2 – 3 months.
Once you get the hang of this you can cook other pieces like frozen pork chops Instant Pot similarly but with less time. These are the ingredients you’ll need to get it nice and flavorful:
- Pressure cooker
- For Instant Pot users I would HIGHLY suggest getting a non stick pot
- Pork loin – this one was 2 lbs.
- Soy sauce
- Sherry cooking wine
- Vegetable oil
- Minced onion
- Garlic powder
- Beef broth or water
- Cinnamon is optional
Timing is based on our Instant Pot cooking times.
Is it safe to eat pork that has been frozen for a year?
Well, you usually won’t get sick from it but it probably won’t taste that good. This is because there is a good chance that meat that has been frozen that long will develop freezer burn. Typically when making something like our frozen pork shoulder Instant Pot I don’t want to let it sit for longer than 1 year in freezer.
What vegetables go well with pork?
Buttery pressure cooker brussels sprouts, sauteéd Instant Pot spinach, cauliflower, or just a crisp salad are great too. Any of these sides will balance out the plate. It is nice to pair this with something light for sure and gravy is another must we say.
- Green vegetables like Instant Pot broccoli or peas top our list.
Frozen pork loin in Instant Pot and our Ninja foodi pulled pork are great 30 minute meal I tell you (and nobody will suspect you almost forgot dinner).
How long do you cook frozen pork loin?
The depends on the cooking method and thickness. Now with our tender frozen pork roast Instant Pot the size of the piece matters too. Thicker will of course take more time so keep that in mind. If you can find one about the same weight as ours the timing below will be most accurate and will turn out delish.
In this case you are looking at 20 minutes of cooking but you need to allow the steam to release for another 20 so that would need to be taken into account as well. In an oven though you are looking at 1.5 – 2 hours so this is a lot faster.
What is the Best Way to Cook Ninja Foodi Frozen Pork Loin?
- Open the lid and add all ingredients other than your meat, whisk them together.
- Unwrap meat and add tenderloin on the bottom.
- Close lid and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes followed by a natural pressure release for 20 minutes.
- in a Foodi use the lid that is NOT attached and the pressure cook button
- timing is good for a 2 pound pork loin
- Lift pork loin roast out and put on cutting board when done. Allow cut of meat to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- alternatively if you want to sear the outside once done just drain liquid out, set to saute and brown for 2 minutes per side until browned
- Always use a meat thermometer to ensure internal meat temperature registers that it’s cooked through
- If you have a defrosted tenderloin you can follow these air fryer pork loin instructions.
Slice and serve with mashed potatoes! You can pour 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce over the top if you want more flavor.
Can you use Instant Pot as a de-froster?
Kind of but not really. We have shared How to Cook Frozen Meat in Instant Pot over and over again. In that process it is defrosting and thawing at the beginning, yes. So if that is what you are referring to then you are correct. As the high pressure heat builds up it will slowly soften the protein before it comes to pressure and starts to cook.
Why did my pork tenderloin turn out tough in Instant Pot?
No matter what meat you are making in this electric cooker there are a few rules to follow so they stay moist and fork tender. First off it is best to cook it in or with some sort of sauce. Secondly you always want to wait once the time is up to allow for the steam to release on it’s own. If you are making Pressure cooker pork chops, the same thing is true. A quick release will suck all the juices right out of the meat = no go.
Can you cook Instant Pot frozen pork loin with gravy?
Yep, the instructions for that are below for you. Cooking in a rich sauce using Sherry and soy sauce will flavor the meat and smother it as it defrosts and cooks to a perfect 145 degrees F inside. We have made this same gravy on the stovetop when smoking a boneless pork loin too and the combo is amazing.
How do you fit a frozen pork loin in pressure cooker?
This is why we choose a smaller piece. 2 pounds is just about right, larger than that is usually too long and since it is hard you can’t bend it to fit inside. This size you can sit diagonally with one end touching the bottom and the other sticking up. When it softens it will fall down.
Use a sharp knife to slice the end. Peel that end off and then slide the knife up the side with the blade facing up to cut it all the way down to remove it from the frozen meat. If it is stuck or you can’t get under it, run the package under cool water to loosen, then follow these steps.
It isn’t a great idea to freeze, thaw, cook, and then freeze meat again. The texture is the biggest thing that will change, and not in a good way. Stick to freezing once. If you do have leftovers after cooking, store in the fridge once cooled and reheat within 3 days instead.
Looking for other easy Instant Pot recipes? If you want a one pot meal with pasta and meat together you should try our Instant Pot chicken parmesan, it is great.
Print recipe instructions for frozen Instant Pot pork below I have made this with a pork tenderloin and pork loin with the weight of 2 lbs. If using a much larger piece you may have to adjust cook time a few minutes more but this size is suggested.
Frozen Pork Loin in Instant Pot
Equipment
- 1 pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 1 pork loin, or tenderloin, 2 lbs is what was used in both cases, if larger you'd need to increase time
- 3/4 c water, or broth
- 1/4 c soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Sherry, cooking wine
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1.5 tsp minced onion, dried
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Whisk together all ingredients and pour into pressure cooker.
- Unwrap your frozen pork loin and place it into your pot.
- Close lid and steam valve and set to high pressure for 20 minutes followed by 20 minutes of natural releasing the steam.
- Open lid, lift loin out and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Pour juice from pot on top once sliced and served with mashed potatoes or other sides.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this a couple nights ago as we realized we hadn’t taken out anything for dinner. What a great mistake as this was quite simply the BEST pork tenderloin I have ever eaten!!! I didnt have cooking sherry so used a red wine blend in its place. There was something with the wine and cinnamon combination that was just to die for. We also chopped up some leftovers and had them with our scrambled eggs the next morning and I was dazzled all over again!
So glad it was a hit
I cut back on the soy sauce and added a bit more stock, skipped the garlic because my husband hates it, traded the sherry for a dry red wine that I had open and added minced onion because I didn’t have any dried. Still turned out fabulous. Sides of mashed potatoes and glazed carrots finished it off. Thanks for a great recipe!
What about a frozen stuffed pork loin that weighs 4 lbs, how much time would you add?
Omg this was really good!! This is the first time I’ve made a comment on someone’s recipe off Pinterest and we also have picky eaters over here AND my pork always turns out super dry. I ended up doubling the sauce part, I had a pkg of pork tenderloin from Costco that I didn’t realize had 2 tenderloins in one pouch. I didn’t have the onion or cooking wine but I did end up adding apple slices and it smelled so good! My daughter thought I was baking a pie or something😜 DEFINITELY making this again!
I am so glad you let me know, glad it was such a hit!
Can I add red potatoes to this recipe and if so how long will the potatoes need to cook in the insta pot with my pork roast?
I used water instead of broth. I inadvertently added 1/2 tsp onion powder, so I omitted the dried onions and added the remaining ingredients. I used the sauce to cook a frozen 1.5 lb. pork loin roast (not tenderloin) in a stovetop pressure cooker. Took approximately 45 minutes to cook, but it turned out tender and flavorful. I would use this recipe again.
Thanks for sharing what you did!
What could be a substitute for the cooking sherry?
I used Vermouth. I think you could use any other red wine that you like.
Sounds fab
Hard cider would also do nicely, as apples go well with pork. Remember, never cook with alcohol you won’t drink (because of the flavor), you’ll taste it in your dish and be sorely disappointed.
It was super easy and very yummy! Thank you!
Yay!!
So glad it was a hit for y’all!
I’m confused. Is this for a pork tenderloin or a pork loin? You use the wording back and forth. Tenderloin and loin are very different cuts of meat; different thickness, meat density, amount of fat and moisture. The done picture looks like tenderloin. I have 2 frozen loins I need to prepare. How do I adjust for the differences in time, moisture, density, etc. Thank you.
This was my question too! Guess I’ll find a different recipe with definitive instructions. =/
Says above recipe I have used both a loin and tenderloin with these instructions, both were 2 lbs. for the timing listed.
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